Puerta Vieja Crianza 2022

Puerta Vieja Crianza comes from Bodegas Riojanas in Cenicero, in the heart of D.O.Ca. Rioja. The fruit is drawn from vineyards around Cenicero and San Vicente de la Sonsierra, where clay and limestone soils and Rioja's continental climate, tempered by Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, give Tempranillo its balance of ripe fruit and firm acidity. Mazuelo adds colour and grip while Graciano lifts the aromatics. After destemming and crushing the grapes ferment under temperature control, followed by an extended maceration that draws colour and tannin from the skins. The wine then ages for eighteen months in new American oak, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and the wood contributes the vanilla, coconut and sweet spice typical of the cask. The result is a medium to full bodied red, deep ruby in the glass, with a nose of ripe cherry and raspberry over leather, tobacco and clove. The palate is rounded and savoury, the oak well integrated, the finish dry and lightly grippy. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted, alongside roast lamb, grilled beef or aged Manchego.